It's National Road Safety Week and the RCMP is urging drivers to stay safe on the roads, something that hasn't been happening in many cases during the pandemic.
In 2020, there were 1191 impaired driving charges laid by Manitoba RCMP and so far in 2021, officers have charged 323. And while the RCMP takes any speeding infraction very seriously, it's the 'super speeders' that they're spending extra focus on. In 2020, 20,515 drivers were charged with speeding. In 2021, 7163 people have been charged so far.
Sgt. Mark Hume, Acting Enforcement Commander with Manitoba RCMP Traffic Services, says not only are many people speeding, but many are doing so at an alarming rate. The RCMP has noticed that more people are driving more than 50 kilometres per hour over the speed limit.
"When you are going that fast, everything about your response as a driver changes – from stopping times, to maneuverability, to steering. This is the behaviour that puts lives at risk, and it is unacceptable," said Sgt. Hume.
In March and April of this year, the RCMP issued 106 tickets to drivers speeding by more than 50 km/hr over the posted speed limit. That number is more than twice that was charged last year or the year before, during the same time period. In 2020, 48 high-seed tickets were issued in March and April, 42 were issued during the two months in 2019.
"As I have said in the past, driving that fast is completely unacceptable," offered Sgt. Hume. "Not only are you putting yourself at risk, but you're putting others at risk as well. There is never a right time to speed, especially excessively as we have been dealing with this year far too many times."
Sgt. Hume says officers will be out and about more often this summer and they hope the next time that you hit the road, you will do so safely so everyone can return home safely.
I see people risking lives and taking deadly chances. We’ve said it before, but it remains true – our goal is to get everyone home safely," ended Sgt. Hume. "I don’t want to knock on any doors and tell someone their loved one has died."
The penalty for speeding can be quite severe, costing you thousands of dollars and could even cost you your license.
